New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-26

might Ss only but that hope
ali the f fPs
r'e az our piis for for Which ', We n la
aS@ed osS
perfectly barren! The force of the stream an
eddy, or something, had swept 1t as clean and poi
ished as cylinder head or mahogany dining
table.
There were quite lot of us standing. looking
disconsolate at this wreck OF all our hopes, when
our attention was attracted to Portugec Jake who
was going through q lot Of antics like clown at
Christmas pantomime: He was queer looking
character anyway, with bis shock of black curly
hair standing ont from the sides of his head as
though stuffed, aud with an odd cap something like
q cOlOred nghtcap peIched on top. He used to talk
as much with his hands and arms as with his
mouth. and that was not little IL be was at all ex.
cited. Well. there he was. geslicuating like
lunatic holding up his hands, shouting. showing
first three long, snaky supple fingers then four,
and trying to talk with his legs as well as with ali
the rest of bis body.
We were too far away to hear what ne said, or to
catch his meaning, but we saw II must be some.
thing out Of the common by the effect 1t had the
boys who heard it, they were not in the habit Of
paying much attention to Jake's talk Presently
Captain Paine. who was in the hole wi h me. had
his curiosity awakened. and beckoncd to Jake,
who came over to the bank above us aud went
through the same performance. We couldn't hear
very we'll on account of the noise Of the water in
the race, the dripping of the pumps. and the
sgueaking of the Over-shot wheels; but what We
Ulu near, making every dlOWauce JAKE eX-
cItement and probable oxaggeration was stage
erer. sure enough.
Professor strike it bigr screamed jake jump
" Struck what !" shouted Captain Paine through
his hands
yessefdayf, holding out his his fingers then then
like the spokes of wheel Then he took out tin
box and ratified it, shouting: John Spencers
money. Professor pay one pound Old Stoye-Ppe
scssed. Buckets full-buckets full. Oh. my God!'
and then began to tell the story over again to
others attracted by his gesticulations.
Captain Paine and stared at one another, fairly
struck dumb and immovabe by the news We
knew that Jake had been off up the tunnel for a
did whenever he could get chance. Jake was as
near crazed by the news as could be, but he knew
gold when he saw it, and could estimate its quality
wnn as we Is ANY OF o
We'll" said Captain Paine after awhile: WELL
boys that's inst our luck ds,.s Here's aSt our
that crazy old fool has struck 1t. up, there
in the moon I'll never strike another lick at
mining as long as i've" and he threw down
that made it rattle and sing upon the hard.
smooth rock. believe he was as good as his
@ E f Ss ff ne
failure but the Professors wonderful success cons
ing right On top of it rather turned him inside out
made for the camp to look at the Professors gold,
which he had sent to pay John back his fee.
There is good deal of character IN gold, as every
placer miner knows. think have seen dust"
from nearly every camp from Mariposa to Siski-
you. but never saw the like of that 1t looked
bewitched. II was coarse, smooth, washed. wrln.
looked like nothing so much as lot of used-up
old coins, worn smooth to DETACHMENT by some exc
tnct and forgotten race yet with lesiDls inscrip,
decpher, although we knew Of course, that
nature, not man, had so inscribed them.
And the impression was-the conviction, l might
came from.
We were very solemn crowd Nobody had much
to say about it, strange to tell, but we spread the
gold out on a tray on tine old mess table and made
tolerably fair division of it, every man of us taxi
ing a little, for the Doctor had sent us an even
pound troy One little piece about the size and
guard TO this day.
After this, most Of the boys dropped of one by
one, until only Harry and were left We found
little crevcs IN the bed OF the stream few tees
1t I'D patiently wemade out nearly as well perhaps
after all as though we had struck the dead sure
hng and had to DIVIDE IT. smo o
for Jakes description. brilliant as 1t was,
fell short of the truth BY wonderful stroke
Of luck the tunnel had been driven Just level
with the bottom of the ancient enamel There
had fall in the river near that spot. the Doc:
tor explained, for on drifting up stream he found
narrow at that point for they struck the rim
the opposite SIDE But it had acted just like riff
le as the Professor showed U.s. making a drawing
for the purpose The stream had poured over with
a rush. leaving the heaviest of the gold to settle
undisturbed upon that narrow ledge.
One Sunday, late in the fall, Harry and went up
to the ranch as usual. The Professor had gone, the
Swedes told us sold out to them and gone home!
He had lett in the night, conceallng his departure
for fear of robbery. for though he had seat down
sacks of gold every week by stage, he still had
considerable with hun, besides certificates of de-
posit and other valuable papers We found also
note from the Doctor bidding us o most kind adeu.
but leaving no cew whatever to his destination.
Ibid you ever see such right down crazy fools
luck" said Harry to me- Z" to come right up here
thousands of feet-nearly to the top of the noun.
tain What could have possessed the old man But
he must have made tremendous cleanup; what
with his doctoring his ranch his horses TO hire, his
tight bargains, and at last the sale OF his place ne
must have done pretty we'll for crazy man."
But perhaps he wasn't crazy after al-perhaps
he knew" said the Swede. looking at Us In his calm,
open-eyed, simple way.
What do you think about it -lH S. Brooks, III
The Overland